Kala Suri Koddul Arachchige Wilson Perera (born 26 April 1926 – died 20 August 2006 as කොන්දුල් ආරච්චිගේ විල්සන් පෙරේරා) [Sinhala]), popularly known as K.A.W. Perera, was a director in Sri Lankan cinema.[1][2][3] Considered as the pioneer of Sri Lankan public cinema,[4] Perera was also a screenwriter, dialogue writer, lyricist and producer who contributed to Sri Lankan drama career for more than five decades.[5]

K.A.W. Perera
කේ. ඒ. ඩබ්. පෙරේරා
Born
Koddul Arachchige Wilson Perera

(1926-04-26)April 26, 1926
DiedAugust 20, 2006(2006-08-20) (aged 80)
Colombo
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationAnanda College
Occupation(s)Director, Producer, Screenplay writer
Years active1955–2004
SpouseAgnes Perera
Children3
Parents
  • Wilmot Perera (father)
  • Nansina Perera (mother)

He died on 20 August 2006 at the age of 80.[6]

Personal life

edit

K.A.W. Perera was born on 26 April 1926 in Havelock, Colombo. His father was Wilmot Perera and his mother was Vidanagamage Kavinihami Ratnayakege Nansina Perera. He first attended to Olcott College and passed English senior exam.[7] He received his primary education at Boys Industrial Home School, Wellawatte and his secondary education at Ananda College, Colombo.[8] Her mother was very strict on education, hence Perera studied well at the school and passed Junior School Certificate.[9]

He was married to longtime partner Mihindukulasuriya Warnapeliyage Theresa Agnes Perera, who was a nurse. The couple has three children – Nayanananda Chandra Kumara, Jayantha Das Perera and Tamara Chandramali Perera.[8]

Career

edit

Early career

edit

He started his career as an English Assistant Teacher at Biyanwila Government School. He also worked as a copywriter for Lanka Radio and as a program and feature designer, producer and children's program editor.[10] Some of his popular radio dramas are Radio Theater and the detective drama Inspector Perera. met Agnes, his future wife during studies at a private institute to prepare University Entrance Examination. At that time, with arising financial problems, he continuously went Employment Exchange to find a job. After some days, he was hired as a clerk at the Education Department.[8] While at the department, he wrote scripts for Radio Ceylon such as Jeewitha Sahathikaya and Rahas Parikshakaya produced by late Thevis Guruge and became popular.[7] Praised by his Director of the Department, Perera was soon appointed as the Assistant English Teacher at a school in Biyanwala in 1949. In 1955, after few years of duty, he quit from the job and moved to Radio Ceylon as a full time writer and copywriter.[9] He also produced radio programmes such as Handa Mama, Radio Sangarawa and Sinhala Geetha Dhara.[7]

Cinema career

edit

During his work at Radio Ceylon, Perera met renowned filmmaker Lester James Peries. Lester selected KAW as the dialogues writer for Sri Lanka’s first pure Sinhala film, Rekava.[8] KAW also worked with Lester for the next film Sandesaya as dialogues writer. In 1960, he co-directed his debut film Pirimiyek Nisa along with T. Somasekaran. The film was produced by E. A. P. Edirisinghe.[9] In 1963, he co-produced the film Suhada Sohoyuro with Edirisinghe. In 1966 he directed the film Sanasuma Kothanada and won the Sarasaviya award for the best film.[7] He met his best friend Premalal Edirisinghe at Radio Ceylon during the production of Sandeshaya.[10]

Since his debut, KAW made blockbuster milestones in Sinhala cinema history which includes Kapatikama, Bicycle Hora, Penawa Neda, Kathuru Muwath, Janaka Saha Manju, Lokuma Hinawa, Ihatha Athmaya, Aparadaya saha Danduwama, Lasanda and Undaya.[8] Perera involved to introduce many talented faces to Sinhala cinema, whom became some major stars in coming ages. He introduced Geetha Kumarasinghe to silver screen through his film Wasana. Then he introduced Vijaya Nandasiri to cinema with Nedeyo.[9] He introduced maestro Premasiri Khemadasa to cinema with Sanasuma Kothanada as well as lyricist Dharmasiri Gamage. With his final film Sumedha, renowned musician Rookantha Gunathilake has introduced into Sinhala cinema as musical director.[7]

In 1956, he was honored at Taskkent’ International Film festival for the film Lasanda. In 1976, Perera won the award for the best director at OCIC film festival in Rome for Lasanda.[7] In 1964, he wrote the screenplay and dialogues for the film Saravita, which was directed by Tissa Liyanasuriya. Later he received the award for Best Screenplay at the 1965 Sarasaviya Awards for this film. Among the popular programs that were started and produced by KAW during radio ceylon were Handa Mama for children, Radio Sagarawa for teenagers and Wasanawa Udawa for adult intelligence development. In 1966, he was censored from the radio, because it is strictly forbidden to engage in any activity related to the art of cinema during or outside the office hours of the radio. Therefore KAW and Karunaratne Abeysekera quit their permanent jobs and devoted themselves full time to cinema.[10]

In 1972, he was a pioneer for the creation of the Sri Lanka film corporation.[10]

Legacy

edit

On 19 November 2013, a felicitation ceremony and three-day film festival was held at BMICH to celebrate Perera's contribution to Sinhala cinema.[7]

Filmography

edit
Year Film Roles Ref.
1956 Rekava Dialogue Writer
1959 Sri 296 Dialogue Writer
1960 Sandesaya Dialogue Writer
1960 Pirimiyek Nisa Director, Dialogue Writer, Screenwriter
1962 Ranmuthu Duwa Dialogue Writer
1963 Suhada Sohoyuro Director, Dialogue Writer, Lyricist [11]
1966 Senasuma Kothanada Director, screenwriter
1966 Kapatikama Director, screenwriter
1964 Heta Pramada Wadi Dialogue Writer
1964 Getawarayo Screenwriter
1965 Yata Giya Dawasa Dialogue Writer
1965 Saaravita Screenwriter
1966 Sigiri Kashyapa Dialogue Writer
1966 Oba Dutu Da Screenwriter
1967 Okkoma Hari Screenwriter
1968 Bicycle Hora Director, screenwriter
1970 Penawa Neda Screenwriter
1971 Kathuru Muwath Director, screenwriter
1971 Seeye Nottuwa Director, screenwriter
1972 Lokuma Hinawa Director, screenwriter
1972 Ihatha Athmaya Director
1973 Aparadaya Saha Danduwama Director
1974 Duleeka Director [12]
1974 Lasanda Director, screenwriter
1976 Wasana Director, screenwriter
1976 Nadayo Director, screenwriter
1978 Janaka Saha Manju Director, screenwriter, producer
1978 Sasara Director, screenwriter
1979 Hingana Kolla Director, screenwriter [13]
1980 Adara Rathne Director
1981 Bangali Walalu Director, screenwriter
1982 Wathura Karaththaya Director, screenwriter, Lyricist
1982 Rail Paara Director
1988 Durga Director, screenwriter, producer
1994 Dhawala Pushpaya Director, Lyricist
1996 Madhuri Director, screenwriter
2000 Undaya Director, screenwriter, producer
2004 Sumedha Director, screenwriter [14]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Filmmakers of Sri Lankan cinema - K A W Perera". National Film Corporation Of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  2. ^ "K A W Perera". IMDb. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  3. ^ "K.A.W. Perera films". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  4. ^ "KAW Perera, The master craftsman". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  5. ^ "K.A.W. Perera filmography". Sinhala Cinema Database. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  6. ^ "K. A. W. No more". Sunday Times. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "KAW pioneered many cinematic innovations". Sunday Times. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d e "K. A. W. Perera and the dimensions of popularity". Daily News. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d "Intriguing K.A.W. Perera And the roads he took us through". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d "The legend of Sinhala cinema". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  11. ^ "'Suhada Sohoyuro' on Swarnavahini". Sunday Times. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  12. ^ "All about the film "Duleeka"". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  13. ^ "All about the film "Hingana Kolla"". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  14. ^ "KAW's Sumedha: a landmark film". Sunday Times. Retrieved 31 December 2019.